The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-18
KILLED BY HIS FRIEND.
J. ABRAMS ACCIDENTALLY
SHOOTS F. NJ. FONDA.

Slain with a Winchester Rife on
s Board the Tug William C. Turner" in
Iii Catalogue Sound-Story of the Trag-
M edy as Told at the Coroner's In
2# quest.
I'D An incxpressibly sad accident, resulting
in the death by shooting of Mr.. Frank NJ
Fonda, Superintendent of the main stem
4 division of the Central railroad, occurred
yesterday afternoon off Hilton Head, s. c.
His slayer was j. J. Abrams, Esq, pror,i-
nent lawyer Of Savannah Mr.. Fonda was
one of party of five which left the city in
the morning on the tug William c. Turner
While the tug was lying alongside of
3 barge he started up into the pilot-house,
calling to Mr.. Abrams, who was already
& there. Mr.. Abrams picked up a S2-calibre
3 Winchester rife which was lying under his
31nee and pointed il out of the window.
Just as Mr.. Fonda's head appeared on a
level with the window sill the boat rolled,
The rife barrel slipped along the window sill
and the hammer few down, exploding the
cartridge.
THE FATAL BULLET
Mr.. Fonda was barely five feet away The
bullet struck him about half an inch from
the inner corner of his left eye. passed
Through the root of the nose, continued
Through his head obliquely and came out
back Of his right ear. Instantly Mr.. Fonda
n fell backwards to the deck and was dead be-
fore anyone could reach him. Death was
instantaneous. Mr.. Fonda did not utter a
word He was laughing as he assembled the
freps, and he died with smile upon his face.
Both men were very intimate, and Mr..
abrams was frenzied when he found that he
had killed his friend. As nothing could be
& hone for the unfortunate man the tug was
headed about for Savannah, and reached
I here at 1880 o'clock.
THE PARTY on THE TUG.
The party left the Exchange dock at 10:}0
b. m On board the tug were Col John F.
81 Gaynor, government contractor in charge
3 Cf the river and harbor improvements Mr..
q Abrams, Mr. Andrew Anderson, Mr.. John
L ~. Griffin, General Travelling Passenger
Agent for the Chicago, East Illinois, Terre
Eaute and Evansville railroad, and Magis-
: frate N. F. Molina. On Friday the govern
Z tnent snag boat Toccoa went ashore at
Braddocks Point, off Hilton Head. Col
3 Gsynor was to assist in pulling her off He
told Mr. Abrams to invite few friends to
70 down on the Turner, and Mr.. Fonda and
The other three gentlemen were asked by
# dr. Abrams to make the trip. They reached
III Hilton Head Point, some thirty miles from
4. The city, between and O'clock.
A OFF HILTON HEAD.
& 4 1t was about an hour before high tide. and
as the effort 20 pull the TOccoa off was not
N b be made before high water the tug was
Il made fast to an anchor barge The party
6kad dined before the accident and Mr..
# a brams, Mr. Molina and Mr.. Anderson had
bone up into the pilot house. There were
1hree rifles on board the tug, and good
I many shots had been fired at alligators.
a Mr.. Fonda had used Mr. Abrams
& xide and left 1t lying ON
lettee in the pilot house. The three who
u we're there were chatting about the boat
Mat was aground. All were in good spirits
Hr. Fonda was especially so, he being natu
1ally of a kind and jovial disposition.
STAYED TO HIS DEATH.
He was married man and had been with
the Central only since April l. Early in
Is the week he had made arrangements to
4 1eave Saturday night for Nashville to bring
n b lis wife TO Savannah as she has not been
here since he was appointed superintendent
be had his wife's picture in his
Il bpcket. and had shown it to his COMPANIONS
&peaking in the most affectionate and en-
Nearing terms of her. He told his friends
That as he had waited over Sunday to make
E 1he trip with them he had decided to leave
Tor Nashville tomorrow night
When the body was brought up to the
& IN it was taken to Capt. w. D.
& MONS undertaking establishment. 43 Bull
rect. The deceased was splendid specimen
"A physical manhood, standing feet 2
5ches and well built. He was in his 37th
III Var. He had large head, round, smooth
haven pleasant face and intellectual fore
Aad
x ACTION OF THE ROADS OFFICIALS.
The general officers of the Central rail
& I'D who were in the city were at once mott
NJ of the accident. Gen. Alexander,
s. Resident of the road, and General
q bnager Belknap, are both absent.
b. g. Monkey Sorrel, General Manager
49, the Ocean Steamship Company; Maj.
hitehead, the railroad company's Gen
al Freight and Passenger Agent; Col
H liam Rogers, formerly General Superin-
~ mndent of the Central and now the Presi-
u 4Eht's First Assistant: Mr.. T. NJ. Cunning
nm, Cashier OF the Cental's bank, together
LII other officers of the company, visited
- place where the body lay and viewed
IL remains.
although they had known the deceased
hui a short time all were attached to him
md We're greatly shocked at the news of his
- death
TIE CoRoNER's INQUEST.
About $50 O'Clock Coroner Dixon sum-
\ Rpned the following jury and proceeded to
y bod an inquest: A l.. HartIidge, Jr., David
Crimson, J. c. Cope, F Horton, NJ. Korach,
50 L Nv. Cobb, Thomas Murray, w. j. Gels,
r. c. Blackford, Moses Beckett, John d.
Donelan and Stephen Rabey. The jurors
were sworn and taken to the undertakers
rooms, where they viewed the body. From
there they adjourned TO Justice Molinas Of
Zee, at Bull street and Bay street lane.
Passers-by Capt Dixon's place had stopped
10 inquire the particulars of the killing and
when the inquest began, the magistrates
Office was densely crowded. Those who
could not get inside the door collected in
Bay street lane and watched the proceed
mgs through the windows. While the evi-
telce was being heard Mr. Abrams entered
the Office by back door and sat
down in the magistrates private office
WITNESSES OF THE TRAGEDY.
The first witness called was Magistrate NJ
r. Molina, who testified as follows: by in
vitation a party of us went down the river
this morning on the tug William G.. Turner
owned by Col. John +. Gaynor. There was
government vessel ashore at Hilton Head
and when we reached there we made fast to
a barge. Mr.. Fonda started to come up the
stairway into the pilot-house, where Mr..
Abrams, Mr.. Anderson and myself were at
the time As he reached the ladder of the
stairway on the deck going up into the
pilot-house he called out: Jack, I'm coming
up
"Mr Abrams replied: No you're not